UNIVERSITY  OF 
ILLINOIS  LIBRARY 
AT  URBANA  CHAMPAIGN 

AGRICULTURE 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/feedingformilkbuOOIIoy 


Circulating 


-1  Uf?A; 


NT 


A£ric 


iiilturai 


Li^rarr 


station. 

1890 


mtms”yoPluam 


MISSISSIPPI 

Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 

BULLETIN  NO.  13. 


FEEDING  FOR  MILK  ® BUTTER. 

E.  R.  LLOYD,  Agriculturist. 


AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE,  MISS, 

SEPTEMBER  25th,  1890. 


OFFICERS  OF  THE  STATION 


TRUSTEES. 


\ . His  Excellency  J.  M.  STONE, Ex-Officio  President. 

Hon.  H.  M.  STREET, Meridian. 

Hon.  J.  Z.  GEORGE Carrollton. 

n;  Hon.  J.  F.  McCORMICK, Heidelburg. 

Dr.  GEO.  H.  PEETS, Woodville. 

Hon.  J.  R.  CAMERON,  Canton. 

Hon.  W.  B.  MONTGOMERY,  . . . . Starkville. 

^SvMaj.  T.  C.  DOCKERY,  Love’s  Station. 

^ Hon.  A.  F.  FOX, West  Point. 

v;  Maj.  W.  H.  MORGAN... Sheppardstown. 


GOVERNING  BOARD. 


Gen.  S.  D.  LEE Prest.  A.  k M.  College. 

Hon.  W.  B.  MONTGOMERY, Local  Trustee  A.  & M.  College. 

S.  M.  TRACY, Director. 


WORKING  FORCE. 


S.  M.  TRACY,  M..S. 

v W.  L.  McGEE,  M.  S 

E.  R.  LLOYD,  M.  S 

V J.  H.  CONNELL,  B.  S.  ... 

J H.  E.  WEED.  M.  S 

A.  B.  McKAY,  B.  S. 

- G.  C.  CREELMAN,  B.  S.  A 
^sW.  L.  HUTCHINSON,  B.  S. 

L.  G.  PATTERSON,  

J.  M.  WHITE,  M.  S 


Director. 

Assistant  Director. 

Agriculturist. 

. . . . Special  Work  in  Agriculture. 
Horticulturist  and  Entomologist. 
. . . Special  Work  in  Horticulture. 

. V eterinarian. 

Chemist. 

Chemist. 

Meteorologist. 


R.  C.  KING,  B.  S Treasurer. 

The  bulletins  of  the  Station  are  sent  free  of  charge,  to 
all  persons  in  this  State  who  apply  for  them. 


FEEDING  FOR  MILK  AND  BUTTER. 


&0  1 
/vKc'% 
f? 

ov  .3 


Ou  November  24th,  IS*!),  sixty  cows  were  put  into  the  Station 
barn  for  the  purpose  of  making  a series  of  tests  to  determine 
the  most  economical  food  for  the  production  of  milk  and  butter. 
The  herd  was  divided  into  six  lots  containing  ten  cows  each,  of 
which  seven  were  common  “natives”  purchased  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood,  two  were  low-grade  Jerseys  and  one  a grade  Devon 
belonging  to  the  College. 

Each  cow  was  given  all  the  hay  she  would  eat,  and  as  much 
grain  as  was  thought  safe.  The  barns  containing  the  hay  which 
had  been  stored  for  winter  feeding  were  destroyed  by  fire  in 
September  and  October,  and  the  “mixed  hay”  referred  to  was  cut 
during  the  latter  part  of  October  and  November  in  uncultivated 
fields.  It  had  been  touched  by  frost  and  contained  a consider- 
able amount  of  asters,  broom-sedge,  iron-weed  and  other  almost 
worthless  materials,  though  about  three-fourths  of  it  was  Japan 
clover  (Lespedem  striata J,  with  a small  amount  of  Chicken-corn 
(Sorghum  mlgare).  In  estimating  the  expenses  of  the  work, 
this  hay  is  valued  at  seven  dollars  per  ton,  Bermuda  hay  at  ten 
dollars,  cotton  seed  at  nine  dollars,  cottonseed  meal  at  twenty 
dollars,  and  corn  meal  at  fifty  cents  per  bushel  (twenty  dollars 
and  eighty-five  cents  per  ton). 

The  test  was  continued  twelve  weeks  and  the  general  results 
were  as  follows : 


£ -5Z5 

S ® 

CDo 

2$ 

0 

1 "5  0 

0 0 

FEED 

. Gal’ns 
Milk. 

It  of 
Feed . 

f W 

. fD 
\>*t 
< 

. pounds 
Butter. 

aw 

• fD 

1 ^ 

1st 

Lot  . 

Bermuda  Hay  and  Cotton  Seed 

$ 

1 62.32  795.01 

56.8(51  756.90 

cts . 

7 W 

Q rrQ  a r» 

cts. 

15.70 

15.62 

•id. 

Lot 

. Mixed  Hay  and  Cotton  Seed  

/ .0 

ooy  4 0 

339.40 

3d 

Lot 

Bermuda  Hay  and  Cotton  Seed  Meal 

1 

123. 78 1058.04 

11.7 

418.50 

26  83 

4th 

Lot  . 

Mixed  Hay  and  Cotton  Seed  Meal 

108. 99|  957.01 
121  62  848.28| 
103. 91  [ 802.51| 

11.5 

14  si 

419.98 

007  LU1 

23.62 

5th 

Lot  . 

. . . . Bermuda  Hay  and  Corn  Meal 

6th 

Lot  . 

Mixed  Hay  and  Corn  Meal 

12.  o| 

. ooj 

280.20; 

37 . 3 1 

33.65 

577.485217  75| 

11.1*  2115.2(5 

25.46 

As  will  be  seen  in  the  table  above,  the  best  results  were  from 
hot  2,  which  was  fed  with  mixed  hay  and  cotton  seed ; this  lot 


4 


FEEDING  FOE  MILK  AND  BUTTEK. 


giving  milk  at  a cost  ot  7.5  cents  per  gallon,  and  butter  at  a cost 
of  15.62  cents  per  pound.  Lot  1,  which  was  also  fed  with  cotton 
seed,  did  very  nearly  as  well.  The  most  expensive  milk  and  but- 
ter were  from  Lot  5,  which  was  fed  with  Bermuda  hay  and  corn 
meal,  the  milk  costing  14.3  cents  per  gallon  and  the  butter  37.31 
cents  per  pound.  The  average  cost  of  milk  tor  the  six  lots  was 
11.1  cents  per  gallon,  and  of  butter  25.46  cents  per  pound. 

The  results  show  very  clearly  that  tor  the  winter  production  of 
both  milk  and  butter,  Lespedeza  is  a cheaper  hay  than  is  Ber- 
muda, and  that  cotton  seed  is  much  cheaper  for  the  grain  ration 
than  either  cottonseed  meal  or  corn  meal. 

Details  of  the  work  were  as  follows : In  selecting  the  cows  it 
was  the  aim  to  make  each  lot  ot  ten  represent,  in  quality  and 
breeding,  the  herd  of  the  average  farmer  as  nearly  as  was  possible,  , 
and  the  test  was  continued  through  the  ordinary  feeding  season. 
The  average  weight  of  each  lot  at  the  beginning  was  6968  pounds,  ■ 
and  none  of  the  lots  varied  more  than  475  pounds  from  that  - 
weight.  Care  was  taken  that  the  cows  in  the  different  lots  should  ^ 
be,  as  nearly  as  was  possible,  the  same  length  of  time  from  calv-  * 
ing.  The  food  for  each  lot  was  weighed  separately  morning  and  j 
evening,  and  all  waste  reweighed  in  the  morning ; and  the  cows 
charged  with  the  amounts  actually  eaten.  The  milk  from  each  , 
cow  was  weighed  separately  at  each  milking,  and  samples  of  the  ; 
milk  were  taken  for  testing  on  Wednesday  morning  and  evening  - 
of  each  week.  In  taking  these  samples  the  milk  of  each  lot  was  j 
thoroughly  mixed,  and  one  litre  (about  a quart)  taken  for  the  • 
test.  These  samples  were  kept  at  a temperature  of  65°  F.  until  t 
ripened,  when  they  were  churned  and  the  total  butter  yield  esti- 
mated from  the  yields  of  the  samples.  While  this  method  of 
testing  the  quality  of  the  milk  does  not  show  accurately  the 
amount  of  butter  fat  which  the  butter  may  contain,  it  corres- 
ponds morq  nearly  with  the  actual  results  obtained  with  the 
churn  than  we  have  found  to  be  the  case  with  either  the  Short. 
Lactocrite,  or  other  more  chemically  accurate  methods.  We 
used  this  test  because  we  wished  to  ascertain  the  amount  of  but- 
ter which  might  be  made  under  ordinary  treatment,  ratbei  than 
the  amount  of  fat  in  the  milk,  a variable  per  cent  of  which  is 
unavailable  for  butter  when  separated  by  the  usual  dairy  meth- 
ods. The  butter  test  made  in  the  seventh  week  of  the  trial  va- 


-TABLE  NO. 


£ 

Cost  per 

pound  . 

.8S235J  ssssss 

x co  ’•+  50  ic  cc  i-  r-  ^ 

o 

iC 

1 

Number 
pounds  . 

SSiSSS  8238S 
38538 

X 

1 

Ills 

Evening. 

CO  © iC  05  cooct-t- 

CO  SC  CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  JO  CO 

»c 

CO 

°8 

Morning 

18.3 
17.8 

17.4 

18.5 

19.7 

16  5 

18.1 

20  2 

18.1 

16.2 

00 

§ 

Cost  per 

gallon  . . . 

.Olt-OIOlCXrHCO^OIOS 

X C5  Oh-L-l-l-XXXXt- 

s 

00 

Number 

gallons 

g§2S!S5SS25S 

sssassigssss 

795.  011 

Number 

pounds 

^CCO'CO  iC  ccco 

liiiliiiiii 

1 

Value  of 

Feed.... 

gSSS8S5gg£S8 

^ lC  tC  d tC  tC  kC  tC  tC  1C  kC  1C 

8 

§ 

Feed 

No.  pounds 
eaten  per 
week . 

Grain 

iiiieiiiin 

1 

Hay 

SlliiiiiiSi 

1 

OJCO^tOCOt-OOCsSl^^ 

S3S8S8  33&£2 

TfiCiCiOO 

u 

— 

iiFcil ‘ iiilt' 

%£%%£  s§3£gs? 

1 

CO  CD  05  t-  CO  b-  ^ Ol  t-  ^ 

co  co  co  o< 

X 

32 

1C  CO  CO  05  Cl  00  CO  X GO  rf 

05 

£2S2S§  ggSSS  i 

X 

■W^CXHCITJICCOO^ 

ic 

l'"  1 

SSSSSSoS'SS^S 

1 

ss$s^fessss& 

§1 

l~l 

O^XOWHNOOOO 

CO  | 

$§sllSsi§3§ 

1 

sssssssasss 

^ 1C  1C  1C  ic  1C  ^ d »C  to  1C  1C 

i 

1! 

i 

<Me*o-«t<io;oe-ooc:2732 

SS'SSSg!  22g“22 

88333  § = t:S§ 
£g^33  83gq:8 


^ h x o co  c:hm05O1 

J2  S S2  !5  S !-i  ^ JS  S 


05  05  CO  CO  05  05  CO  I — rH 

SSSSS  32  S3  8 2 32 


_rHcojnc:coO'+r^xoi>- 

sgggggssssss 

0SSSSS53'ggSfe£88' 

S23§§S3§gg§ 

W O C-.  ^ C r-I^O  0 0*0 

iiiiiiiiifg 

"r§SgHiS5lS8l" 

<»S2=:232::3332 


iiiiiiiiiig 


nismsir 


7472  il23. 788459  51058. 041  11.7  : 20.3  1 15.2  418.50S6.83 


8S£g£  2£=S£§ 
?,?,£$£ 

& 

ss 

sssssa  $£?!83 
8SS3S  85553 

8 

d 

I HH050  00  CO  iC'rH  rH  CO 

oi  CO  jHJ  CO  rH  CO  1C  ic  »c 

5 

X Cl  CO  H rH  »C  CO  05  t-  05 

32  L L;  32  53  5® S § 2 2 

18.7 

sg’dssgssssris  : 

11.5 

Vf suwmww&r 

© 

i 

ICOICICOICICOICO-IC 

1 c 

nmmun 

1 

1 - 

^ X X d d 05  05  05  05  © © 05 

s 

§ 

— 

iiiilliiiii 

1 

11111888118 

M 

1 

O — < Ol 

05  CO  ^ 1C  CO  r-  X 05  i-H  r-i  r-1 

: 

V* 

K 

8 


35g§8  2§£8gg 
SS88S  25553 
355222  sssssi 

1 s 
la 

g 

33833  5S£?i5 

1 

I - H O'  51  ri  ^ tc  05  rH  05 

S3SS8  32222 

05 

05  iC  ^ rH 

ic 

siSSSsig  28282 

8 

i(Scoooh!«ooohhO£' 

CO 

232332332332:7:323 

°ssfefe  sisals'  ■ 

8 

ssssssegsss 

1 

coot.oticcooie 

iiiilliiiii 

I 

22S.8S885SSS8 

8 

•asssssg'dsas 

S3 

liliillllli 

1 

l- 

Illlllllsll 

§ 

OlC0^iCCOt-X05SSS 

\ 

S5SSS  IggSggg 

2 

SSS88  88SS?g 

g? 

§2522  S3  3 S3" 

"8 

8288335  83ISS5 

1 

i-H  r-»  X X 05  05  05  1C  X CO 

CO  ! 

X tC  X WXXh3 

x 1 

05  CO  05  ic  CO  r-  CO  CO  05  05 

sssi o$§s  saaas1 

05 

s 

"f  05  CO  C r-i  i-i  X 50  H<  iO  Cl  ! 

o: ; 

2 = ^32  75^822222 

2 

{2SSS2S8SSSS 

— 

10 

3 ss  satssgsgg 

i 

O ic  O ^ tc  1C  1C  *o  ic  ic  IC 

^ ! 

iliislssill 

1 

S3S8988S8&S 

05 

^ d x o:  d 05  oi  d 05  d d 05 

1 

iiisililili 

|! 

swmsiMm 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

, ...  7 

^ 8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

FEEDING  FOR  MILK  AND  BUTTER. 


5 


ried  so  widely  from  the  tests  made  during  the  other  eleven  weeks 
that  it  is  thought  there  must  have  been  some  error  in  the  work, 
and  in  making  the  estimates  in  this  bulletin  the  butter  tests  and 
yields  for  that  week  are  omitted. 

For  some  time  previous  to  beginning  the  tests,  the  cows  had 
been  kept  in  an  ordinary  pasture,  and  each  had  been  fed  live 
pounds  of  cotton  seed  meal  daily.  The  total  yield  of  the  herd 
for  the  first  week  of  the  test  was  318.17  gallons  of  milk,  con- 
taining 150.01  pounds  of  butter;  or  one  pound  of  butter  for  16.96 
pounds  of  milk.  The  average  yield  of  milk  during  the  ten  weeks 
of  tabulated  tests  was  474.34  gallons  per  week,  containing  211.53 
pounds  of  butter ; or  one  pound  of  butter  for  19.73  pounds  of 
milk.  The  cost  of  the  butter  made  in  the  preliminary  week  was 
35.4  cents  per  pound,  while  the  average  cost  during  the  ten  tab- 
ulated weeks  was  25.46  cents  per  pound ; a difference  of  30  per 
cent  in  favor  of  the  more  liberal  ration. 

The  first  week  of  the  test  was  regarded  as  preliminary  only, 
and  the  record  for  that  week  is  not  included  in  any  of  the  ta- 
bles. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  test,  each  cow  was  given  all  the 
hay  she  would  eat,  which  was  about  ten  pounds  daily.  The  cows 
fed  on  cotton  seed  were  allowed  twelve  pounds  daily,  but  it  was 
found  that  few  of  them  would  eat  so  much,  and  although  some 
of  the  seed  were  salted,  and  others  heated,  it  was  difficult  to  in- 
duce all  of  these  cows  to  eat  as  many  of  the  seed  as  was  desired. 
Ten  pounds  of  corn  meal  were  allowed  to  each  cow  in'  lots  5 and 
6,  and  seven  pounds  of  cotton  seed  meal  to  each  cow  in  lots  3 
and  4.  The  amount  of  cottomseed  meal  was  gradually  increased 
until  ten  pounds  were  given  to  each  cow,  but  without  producing 
a corresponding  increase  of  either  milk  or  butter.  The  weekly 
results  with  each  lot  were  as  shown  in  Table  No.  2. 

An  examination  of  this  record  will  show  a marked  and  unac- 
countable variation  in  the  pounds  of  milk  required  to  produce  a 
pound  of  butter.  The  cows  were  milked  by  the  same  persons,  in 
regular  order,  at  the  same  hours  daily,  and  all  possible  care  was 
taken  that  the  work  of  each  day  should  be  like  that  of  every 
other  day.  At  no  time  during  the  tests  did  the  mercury  fall  as 
low  as  32  F.  Every  one  who  has  had  experience  in  the  testing 


DEEDING  EUU  MILK  AND  tJjUTTEK, 


0 


of  milk  for  dairies  has  noted  these  daily  differences,  and  a num- 
ber of  Experiment  Stations  have  done  a considerable  amount  of 
work  to  ascertain  their  causes,  but  with  very  contradictory  re- 
sults. 

A very  constant  difference  was  observed  in  the  butter  content 
of  the  milk  from  the  morning  and  the  evening  milkings,  which 
was  probably  due  to  the  effects  of  light  and  exercise.  The  milk- 
ing was  done  between  5.30  and  7 o’clock  in  the  morning,  and  be- 
tween 3.30  and  5 o’clock  in  the  evening,  thus  making  the  inter- 
vals between  the  milkings  fifteen  and  nine  hours.  At  nine 
o’clock  each  morning  the  cows  were  turned  from  the  barn  into 
an  open  lot  where  they  had  an  abundant  supply  of  water  and 
room  for  exercise,  and  where  they  were  allowed  to  remain  until 
2 o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  they  were  placed  in  their  stalls. 
Of  the  morning  milk  18.1  pounds  were  required  to  produce  a 
pound  of  butter,  while  of  the  evening  milk,  only  13.5  pounds 
were  needed.  In  a further  study  of  this  matter  two  cows  were 
used  during  August  and  September,  1890,  in  making  a series  of 
special  tests  of  the  effect  of  time  of  day  of  milkings  and  number 
of  hours  between  milkings.  During  the  first  week  they  were 
milked  at  7 A.  M.  and  0 P.  M.,  during  the  second  week  at  6 A.  M. 
and  7 P.  M.,  and  the  third  week  at  6 A.  M.  and  6 P.  M.  All  of 
the  milking  was  done  by  the  same  man,  and  the  two  days  follow- 
ing each  change  in  hours  were  not  included  in  the  record. 

The  amounts  oi  milk  required  to  produce  a pound  of  butter 
from  the  different  milkings  were  as  follows : 


TIME. 

A.  M. 
P.  M. 
A.  M. 
P.  M. 
A.  M. 
P.  M. 


POUNDS. 


for 


13 

11 

12 


all 


13  hours  since  last  milkiu 

O' 

23.60 

n “ “ “ “ 

16.71 

n “ “ “ “ 

24.95 

13  U U u a 

19.52 

12  “ “ “ 

24.75 

12  a u a u 

24.40 

,18.59 

22.05 

.21.56 

,21.14 

.23.77 

.22.17 

Although  these  results  show  considerable  irregularity,  they 


FEEDING  FOB  MILK  AND  BUTTEK. 


seem  to  indicate  that  day  and  night  influence  the  amount  of  but- 
ter fat  much  more  than  does  the  number  of  hours  between  milk- 
ings. 

The  effects  of  each  ingredient  of  the  ration,  tabulated  without 
regard  to  the  effects  of  the  other  parts  of  the  ration,  are  shown 
in  the  following  table : 


FEED. 

Pounds 

Eaten. 

Gallons 

Milk. 

Cost  Per 

Gallon 

Pounds 

Butter. 

iCost'  Per 
Pound. 

Lots  2,  4.  6.  . 

Mixed  Hay 

00 

$ 

CO 

2516.42 

10  7 

1039.64 

23.6 

Lots  1 , 3,  5.  . . 

Bermuda  Hay 

27506 

2701.29 

11  4 

1075.62 

26.0 

Lots  5,  6 

Corn  Meal 

150661650.79 

13  6 

577.86 

35.5 

T.ntf)  S 4- 

Cotton  Seed  Meal 

In  11  H /fUn  On 

11.5 

838  48 

25.2 

f.oha  1 9 

P.nt.f  mi  Seed  _ . 

14190 J 

1552.01 

j 7.7 

698.92 

15.5 

From  this  it  is  seen  that  milk  and  butter  from  cows  which  had 
the  mixed  hay  cost  less  than  that  from  the  cows  fed  on  Ber- 
muda, and  that  for  the  grain  part  of  the  ration  cotton  seed  was 
much  cheaper  than  was  either  corn  or  cotton  seed  meal.  The 
use  of  raw  cotton  seed  for  feeding  milch  cows  is  often  objected 
to  on  account  of  the  flavor  which  such  feed  is  supposed  to  im- 
part to  the  butter.  In  this  case  one  third  of  the  cows  were  fed 
with  raw  seed,  and  the  milk  from  the  whole  herd  was  put  to- 
gether before  being  taken  to  the  College  dairy.  For  several 
seasons  the  uniform  price  of  the  butter  from  this  dairy  has  been 
thirty  cents  per  pound  during  the  winter  months.  The  price 
has  been  the  same  during  the  present  season,  the  dairy  was  over- 
run with  orders,  and  not  a single  complaint  was  received  in  re- 
gard to  flavor  or  quality  of  the  butter;  though  had  the  entire 
output  of  the  dairy  been  from  cows  fed  exclusively  on  raw  cot- 
ton seed,  the  case  might  have  been  different.  With  cotton  seed 
at  anywhere  near  its  present  price  ($6.07  per  ton,  Sept.  20,  1890), 
or  even  nine  dollars,  its  price  in  1889,  it  will  certainly  produce 
cheaper  butter  than  will  any  other  grain  ration  obtainable  here, 
though  we  do  not  advise  the  feeding  of  a full  ration  of  the  raw 
seed  when  it  is  desired  to  make  a fine  quality  of  butter.  The 
proportion  of  raw  seed  which  can  be  fed  without  injury  to  the 


8 


FEEDING  FOB  MILK  AND  BUTTEK.  . * 
quality  of  the  butter  product  is  a question  which  is  still  unset - 

winter1111  ^ ^ reC6ive  °Ur  atfcention  during  the  coming 

CONCLUSIONS. 

From  the  work  so  far  accomplished,  it  appears 

I.  That  for  the  production  of  milk  a ration  composed  of  Les- 
pedeza  hay  and  cotton  seed  is  the  most  economical. 

II.  That  cotton  seed  is  more  economical  than  cotton  seed 
meal,  as  a grain  ration. 

hay11  rhat  LeSpedeza  is  more  ec°nomical  than  Bermuda 

IV.  That  corn  meal  is  too  expensive  for  use  in  this  State. 

V.  That  the  ration  which  will  produce  mil*  at  the  least  cost 
is  also  the  most  economical  ration  for  butter;  if  no  considera- 
tion be  given  to  the  quality  of  the  latter 


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